Parks in Brief: Big South Fork National River, Gulf Islands National Seashore, James A. Garfield assassination site

Contaminated mine clean-up project completed on Big South Fork National River in Kentucky

ONEIDA, Tenn. — The National Park Service and the US Army Corps of Engineers completed an extensive contaminated mine drainage remediation project in the Blue Heron area of Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area earlier this year.

The project included removal and stabilization of mine spoils that were impacting the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River above the Devil’s Jump rapids in Kentucky. Approximately 3,400 cubic yards of material were removed from the spoil area and hundreds of trees were planted for the reclamation effort.

GULF BREEZE, Fla — In preparation of the arrival of migratory piping plovers, Gulf Islands National Seashore has identified two important habitat areas for the federally protected piping plover, a small stocky sand-colored bird with orange legs. The bird frequently favors the sand beaches and flats of national seashore for foraging grounds.

Biologists at Gulf Islands have partnered with other scientist performing range-wide banding efforts which helps identify and track the habits of piping plovers.

In one case, a 20-day old chick was banded at a housing development in Nebraska, was observed the next year nesting in North Dakota and was observed on various occasions in the non-breeding season at Fort Pickens and Perdido Key.

“In just this one instance, a single bird traveled about 1,300 miles to winter here in the seashore. These birds are Florida’s original snowbirds,” Superintendent Dan Brown stated.

James A. Garfield assassination site to get interpretive exhibits

WASHINGTON — The National Park Service will unveil two wayside exhibits on the National Mall interpreting the life of President James A. Garfield and his 1881 assassination Nov. 19.

The waysides, located on the mall within the historic footprint of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station, will interpret the July 2, 1881 shooting of President Garfield inside the station and Garfield’s lasting contributions as a public servant. The assassination site is the only one of the four presidential assassination sites not currently identified and interpreted.

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